Film Processsing
by Laurie-ky
Summary: The Sentinel: Pre-slash, Jim Ellison/Blair Sandburg. Jim, a camera, an elf and a Christmas party for foster kids.


**Fandom:** The Sentinel

**Title: **Film Processing

**Type: **Pre-slash Jim Ellison/Blair Sandburg

**Rating: **Teen

**Story Notes: **Beta'ed by T. Verano. The sequel to _Film Processing _is_ Kodak Moment. _Written for the Sentinel 100 Christmas Challenge. Prompt -- Candy Cane.

**Summary: **_Jim, a camera, an elf and a Christmas party for foster kids._

* * * * * *

**Film Processing**

Simon Banks picked up the memo from his division head and read it again as he planted himself by his office window. He adjusted the blinds so that he could see his detectives working at their desks; well, most of them were working. Brown was playing Free Cell on his computer. If Brown was on a break, he should be back to work in fifteen minutes; if he played that mindless video game longer than those few minutes, he'd find Simon looming up behind him. Simon wouldn't have to say a word, just breathe behind the man and Henri Brown would find himself industriously working on the never-ending stack of reports that went along with the job.

But Simon had gotten sidetracked. This memo from the higher-ups broke down the tasks needed to set up the Foster Children's Christmas Party, and Major Crimes had been stuck with supplying Santa and an elf, plus assigning detectives to sit at each of the children's tables to supervise the youngsters.

As a result of his orders he was doing a little recon and assessment here, to see who he could get to help out. He wanted the children to have a good time and feel comfortable around the cops, which meant he was going to hand pick who was going to volunteer. It would have been so much easier if they had gotten assigned to arranging the food or decorating for the party in the community room at the downtown library. Then he could have put Rhonda in charge and left it in her capable hands.

He watched Joel, and thinking about his size and his gentle ways, decided he would make the best Santa. He wouldn't have to do much convincing to get Joel to agree; the man was fond of kids and worked with his church youth group every week. He and Joel were going to lunch today anyway, so he'd get his old friend signed up then.

So who could he stick with being Santa's elf helper? He needed someone who was friendly and had a knack for making things fun, someone who could deal with upset kids and not be scary to the small ones.

Simon considered Brown, but decided Henri was too big to combine with being boisterous and jolly; he might scare the kids with his big belly laugh. He needed someone who could cajole and get the kids to cooperate without ordering them around; someone who could be firm without being too authoritarian.

And someone who could pass for an elf. Elves were supposed to be cute. Maybe Rafe? He supposed Rafe was good looking; at least he'd overheard enough women's comments to know Rafe was considered quite handsome. But Mr. 'I dress to the teeth' wouldn't be caught dead in an elf suit; if Simon ordered him to dress in one his annoyance would surely be evident to the kids. They deserved someone who wanted to be with them; not someone who would be self-conscious about wearing a ridiculous outfit.

Rhonda was nice; she wouldn't scare the kids. She didn't have a fun-loving attitude, though; plus she was pretty tall. She just didn't look like an elf to Simon and he didn't think she'd look like one to the kids, either.

Simon considered the other detectives but for one reason or another -- too tall, no sense of humor, too big a build, hated dealing with kids -- he eliminated them as possibilities. He supposed he could see if one of the staff in records would do it; he'd have to go down and look them over to see if anybody met his elf standards… Simon heard a commotion at the bullpen door; when he glanced over he saw that the perfect elf had walked into the bullpen and dropped his backpack near Jim's desk.

Simon wanted to smack himself on the head. Of course Sandburg would be ideal. He liked kids and could handle them just fine. He had a sense of humor and practically bubbled over with fun and mischief. Most of the time Simon tried to intimidate those qualities out of his observer, but they would enhance his elf-ness. And he was small. He was the right size to be an elf. And even Simon had to admit the kid was cute. That mop of curls and his big blue eyes, combined with the mischievous grin and the way he dashed here and there – well, it all added up to cuteness. Although he'd rather have a root canal than admit that out loud to anybody.

And Sandburg had a good heart. He'd want to help the kids have a nice time, so it shouldn't take much to get him to agree. And as a bonus, he'd get Jim volunteering to sit with a group of kids at a table, since Jim was bound to want to be on hand in case his partner needed his help. Jim was kind of overprotective that way, although after Lash and some of the other assorted perps Sandburg had run into, Simon didn't blame him.

Besides, Jim had a soft spot for kids, and he made kids feel safe. Darryl had always liked both Jim and Blair, and Simon felt that was a pretty good reference.

Simon opened his office door and caroled out, "Sandburg." He motioned for the kid to join him in his office and enjoyed the wary look that crossed Blair's face. As Blair scrambled into his office and sat in the chair Simon pointed at, he poured the kid a cup of his cousin's latest foo-foo coffee blend and said, pleasantly, "Blair, did you know that the P. D. is sponsoring a Christmas party for area foster children…"

* * * * * *

Blair waved goodbye to the last of the kids as they left with foster parents or caseworkers to return to their homes. The children had seemed like they'd a good time during the party, and the games he had organized, like the Piñata bashing, had been successful with a minimum of chaos. He had enticed, cajoled, entreated, bribed, and even tricked kids into having fun and being comfortable with the police officers that attended this Christmas bash. So many of the kids had had dealings with the police that had been traumatic for them -- during drug raids, or domestic violence, or seeing their parents being arrested – that it was good for them to have some positive memories involving the cops.

Major Crime's detectives and Rhonda looked like they'd enjoyed themselves too. Jim, the big softy, had ended up with a little girl attached to him and he had helped her swing the stick to hit the piñata and held her hand when it was her turn to see Santa and receive a present. Blair smiled at the memory of his big lug of a roommate being so sweet with the tiny girl. Jim really could be loveable at times. Not that he would mention that to his partner; Jim would get embarrassed and swat at Blair's head and the elf cap he was wearing would fly off to the other side of the room.

The cleanup crew from Vice was here now and his responsibilities were over. Blair looked down ruefully at his elf suit. The belted tunic, a combination of green and red material that went down to his thighs, was worn over a tight green long-sleeved leotard shirt and – there was no other word for them – green tights. There were golden bells sewn to the hem of his tunic and his cap was this plush thing that had little bells attached to it also. He knew he looked silly, but what the hey – he'd worn stranger clothes that _weren't_ a costume. His outfit might amuse the other cops, but they had been friendly with him, and that was what counted. That and the smaller children's wide-eyed looks at an elf from the North Pole.

Simon had even told him he'd done a great job tonight, and the normally gruff man's praise had made Blair feel shy and pleased that his captain had noticed his efforts with the children. But while it was tempting to stay and hang out with the gang – to talk about how cute the kids had been tonight -- he should try and find Jim and see if he was ready to leave. They had come together in Jim's truck and -- while it wasn't that late and Blair's classes were over for the semester -- he'd been tagged to help with a project cataloguing some artifacts very early in the morning. Plus, he had a journal article to finish up tonight that could net him some Christmas cash, if he could make the deadline. If Jim wanted to hang out, Blair could catch a bus home instead. He'd stashed a change of clothes in the truck for that very reason.

He didn't have to go looking for his friend because Jim found him first; his roommate had his jacket on already and looked ready to go. Jim walked towards Blair, smiling at him, and Blair felt that old familiar heat start to pool down in his groin again. Out of long practice he divorced himself from his attraction to Jim and stopped his arousal cold. It was almost an automatic reaction any more and he was totally glad Jim had never twigged to Blair's feelings of lust towards him. Jim was straight; Blair wasn't, and there was no chance of their friendship being anything but just that – a friendship. Jim came close enough to him to flick one of the bells on his cap, and then he patted both cheeks on Blair's face.

"Sandburg – you ready to go and put the reindeer to bed? I've just got to turn in my instant camera and then I'm all set to leave."

"Oh, cool! Did you get some good shots? And did you bring your own camera too, so we can have some pictures of the party?"

"Yes and Yes. You know, you did a pretty good job here tonight, Chief. I've got some shots of you playing with the kids and helping the little guys to see Santa Joel. I think such a good boy should get a treat, so close your eyes, my little goblin."

"Elf, Jim. I'm an elf. You know, one of Santa's helpers, lives up at the North Pole, takes care of the reindeer… Quit laughing, Jim or I'm going to tell Santa to put coal in your stocking." But Blair was laughing too as Jim snagged him, pulling Blair a little closer to him and covering Blair's eyes with one of his hands. Jim placed something in Blair's palm and then pinched his cheek, murmuring, "for my little elf." Then Jim removed his hand from Blair's eyes, and Blair grinned delightedly when he saw he'd been given a candy cane. He loved candy canes, even if they were pure sweet sugar; this one was a big red and green striped one, with no curves, around eight inches long and about as big around as a quarter.

"Sandburg, this should keep your mouth too busy to yak any more tonight. I'll meet you by the door; okay, my little elf?" And Jim walked away to turn in the instant camera that he'd been given to take candid shots of the party in full swing.

As he waited at the doorway, jacket carelessly dumped on a nearby chair, Blair unwrapped his candy cane and stuck the end in his mouth. He sucked and licked the sweet candy pole while he waited for Jim to quit his own yakking to Simon and Henri and to get his ass over to the doorway. As he waited for his partner, Blair closed his eyes and indulged himself in a brief fantasy that the candy cane he was sucking was a different kind of present from Jim, although still pole shaped; till he again felt the beginnings of sexual arousal and then he cut himself off once again.

When he quit his daydreaming, he realized that Jim had snuck up on him, camera in hand, and had proceeded to take a couple of shots of him in his elf suit, sucking the candy cane. Finally, after Blair threatened to tell Santa that Jim should only get white socks for his Christmas present, Jim put his camera away, and held the door open for his roommate. As they left the building, Blair smiled to himself at the humorous picture they probably made together, a tall cop striding away with a short elf trotting by his side.

* * * * * *

Jim looked over the photographs from the Christmas party, smiling at Joel dressed as Santa, and at the little tot who'd latched onto Jim during the party. He downright smirked at his roommate's pictures; Sandburg looked cuter than the little kids did in these photos, dressed up in that skimpy elf suit with his curls tumbling out from under that silly elf cap. Some of these were going up in the bullpen; Sandburg wouldn't care, and this was primo teasing material. He looked at the photos he had taken of Blair sucking on the candy cane Jim had given him. Blair hadn't realized Jim was stalking him with the camera at that point and the look of enjoyment on his little elf's face as he sucked his sweet treat was priceless. These kinds of pictures, with their potential for blackmail, deserved a special hiding place, where Blair wouldn't accidentally find them. Jim decided he'd keep them upstairs, with some of the other incriminating photos of his partner he'd taken over the years. It was comforting to have some leverage on the kid.

Those photos were like an insurance policy.

Just in case he'd ever need them, of course.

The End.

Sequel: Kodak Moment


End file.
